


Autumn Leaves

by Erin_Riwen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Autumn, Friendship/Love, Good Narcissa Black Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy being an arsehole, M/M, Post-Hogwarts, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-06-28 01:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15697497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin_Riwen/pseuds/Erin_Riwen
Summary: When Draco finds himself in a nose to nose confrontation with his father, Harry offers him an unexpected solution.





	Autumn Leaves

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt S30 by Lower East Side: Harry secretly likes to jump into piles of leaves like a little kid. Draco secretly knows and thinks its cute.
> 
> Any optional extras: Draco casually plucking a leaf from Harry's hair or jacket - "You missed one." 8th year getting together fic?
> 
> This started out a simple little ficlet and somehow it ended up with some heavy stuff but it's all happy and leaf jumpy at the end. I hope the prompter is happy.
> 
> A million thanks to my incredible beta Betsy/sassy_cissa for not only doing a stellar job but doing it last minute when I lost the thread of time management.
> 
> Also, check out the lovely foam art Chris made for my story. So sweet!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/16160885

“Will you come with me?” Harry asked as they packed their things for the last time at Hogwarts.

“You want me to help you house hunt?” Draco asked as he levitated his vast shoe collection into the specially designed trunk.  “Me? Not Ron and Hermione?” The surprise was clear in his voice.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, pushing down hard to get the trunk to latch.  “They,” he said, hesitating, “they’re great friends and they mean well but, well,” Harry sighed.  

“But?” Draco asked as the trunk locked.  He sat down on his bed and looked expectantly at Harry.

Harry took up a similar position on his own bed and looked over at Draco.  “If they help me, I’ll end up with the house that they want, that they like, not what I want.  Like I said, they mean well.”

“Ahh,” Draco said, “now I understand.  And you trust my opinion, do you?”

“Wouldn’t ask if I didn’t,” Harry retorted.  “Besides, I know I can trust you to tell me the truth.  You won’t let me do something stupid without making sure that I know it’s stupid.”

“I won’t let you do anything stupid, period, Harry.  I just won’t.”

Harry grinned and shrugged, “So?”

“Fine.  I’ll help you.  When did you want to do it?”

“As soon as possible.  Tell me when you’re free and I’ll arrange the estate agent.”

Draco nodded.  “I’ll owl you as soon as I’ve spoken to Mother.  It wouldn’t do to make plans after being away so long without consulting her.”

“Great, thanks.”  Harry stood and moved to gather his backpack for the trip on the Express.  “Ready to go?”.

Draco stood, tossing his own bag over his shoulder carelessly and nodded.  “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Harry paused, looking at Draco.  “You gonna be okay going back there?”

“I have to be.  It’s my home, at least for now.”

“You know that I understand,” Harry said solemnly, “and you know that you always have a choice, a place to go, right?”

“I know,” Draco said quietly before raising his eyes to meet Harry’s.  “Thank you.”

Harry smiled.  “That’s what friends are for.  Now, let’s go find a compartment for the trip back to London.”

OoO

Two days later, Draco’s owl tapped at the window of Grimmauld Place as Harry was making tea and toast.  He let the tawny bird in and offered a treat while he read the note.

_  
Harry,_

_How is this afternoon?  I could use the distraction._

_Draco_

  
Harry's brow furrowed at the tenseness he sensed in the note and responded quickly.

_  
Draco,_

_I'm free all day.  I'll contact the estate agent.  Either way, I’ve added you to the wards so feel free to come over whenever you want._

_Harry_

  
After Draco's owl left, Harry placed a Fire call to the agent he had chosen and arranged showings for that afternoon.

It was not really a surprise when the Floo flared half an hour later and Draco stepped through.  There was also little surprise at the tension present in his friend’s face. “Do you want tea, coffee or alcohol?”

“I want alcohol but it would be a bad idea,” Draco answered as he paced the room.

“Tea, then,” Harry determined and turned toward the door, pleased that Draco followed.  The pair made their way to the kitchen and Harry put the kettle on and pulled out the box of pastries he'd picked up the day before.  “Wanna talk about it?”

Draco sighed as he picked at an apple Danish.  “My father,” he said quietly, “has decided that it is time for me to do my familial duty, marry a witch -- chosen by him of course -- and produce heirs.” Draco snorted.

“What the actual fuck?” Harry sputtered as he sat the tea mugs on the table and sat down.  “You're 19 years old and he wants you married? And like that's not bad enough, you don't even get to choose?”

Draco chuckled but there was no humor in it.  “Yeah. To be fair, I likely wouldn't choose anyone _suitable_.”

“What would he consider _suitable_?” Harry asked as he selected a danish.

“Well, female, for a start,” he said between bites.

Harry froze, his eyes wide and his mouth forming an O without an actual sound coming out.

“Careful Harry, you'll catch a Snidget.” Draco grinned as Harry's mouth closed and his eyes blinked.  

Placing his danish carefully on his plate, Harry took a second to take a deep breath before looking up into Draco's eyes.  “I didn't realize,” he said quietly. “Does that make me a bad friend?”

Draco chuckled, shaking his head.  “No, Harry,” he said fondly, “I’ve tried to keep it hidden.  You’re a bit oblivious, perhaps, but you're a great friend.”

“What are you going to do about your father?”

His lips twisted into a grimace before he responded.  “I... don't know.” He sighed, his fingers picking thoughtlessly at the danish.  “ I cannot imagine putting myself or some poor witch through that kind of torture.  On the other hand,” he paused to take a long drink of his rapidly cooling tea, “my father is quite likely to disown me and kick me out without a penny.”

“Fuck, would he really do that?”

A wry laugh combined with a look of frustration on Draco's face was all the answer Harry needed.  “Fuck! How can a father even be like that?”

“For most pure-bloods, pride and tradition are the most important things they have.  No cost is too high. The fact that I'm gay is just salt in the wound.”

Harry took in and released a breath, his anger for his friend making him tense.  “Unbelievable!”

Draco rubbed his temples, trying to ease the pounding there.  “Indeed.” He opened his eyes and gave Harry a small smile. Let's go house hunting, shall we?”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, absolutely, Harry.  I need distraction. I want to find you a house and have delicious food and ice cream and just utterly forget him for a few hours.  What do you say?”

“I say, let's go,” Harry said, standing and giving Draco a bright smile.  

“Quite right,” Draco agreed, joining him as they made their way to the Floo.  

The pair made their way through no less than a dozen houses and flats before stopping for dinner.  Property sheets in hand, they made their way to Harry’s favorite restaurant for dinner, spreading the papers out on the table between them.

“What do you think?” Harry asked as he sipped his lager.

“I think most of these are rubbish.  You could make them work but why would you.  You have money and there’s no need for that. When we eliminate the obvious,” he continued as he sorted the papers into two piles, “the too small, too few decent loos, the poorly constructed, the wrong neighborhoods, we are left with these two options.”  Draco held out the property sheets and Harry took them with a nod.

“These are my favorites, as it happens.  So the choice really comes down to a place in the countryside or in the city.”  Harry looked thoughtful, moving the papers aside as their food arrived.

“There’s convenience in the city, late night takeaways and pubs but with the Floo and Apparating, it’s really not that inconvenient to be in the countryside.”  Draco looked at the amenities list of both properties. “There’s no comparison on the details. You get much more house out of London and this is a proper country manor with lovely grounds.”

Harry munched on a vinegar soaked chip as he looked over Draco’s arm.  “The house is wonderful but it’s the grounds I really love. I’ve always wanted a proper garden.”

“Then I think your choice is clear and best of all,” Draco paused, “It’s Malfoy approved.”

“Well, can’t ask for much more than that, now can I?  That settles it then.” Harry smiled, his eyes full of excitement.  “Now, about that ice cream.”

In the end, they made a Tesco run and came back to Grimmauld Place with no less than 4 different flavors of ice cream and spent the evening talking about Quidditch and career thoughts and pretty much anything except the Lucius problem. Finally, it grew late.

“Stay,” Harry said as they washed up the ice cream remains.  “Spend the night, spend the weekend, hell, move in. You don’t have to go back there.”

Draco sighed, leaning back against the counter.  “I have to deal with it sometime.”

Harry nudged his shoulder.  “Not tonight. Do this in your own time, not his.”

Nodding, Draco smiled.  “If you had told me in fifth year this is where I’d end up, I’d have called you mad.”

“Same, and yet here we are.”

“Okay,” Draco said finally, “I’ll stay the night.  I’d rather face Father rested.”

“Good, I made up a guest room in case.”

The next morning Harry was making a proper fry up when Draco padded barefoot into the kitchen in nothing but pajama bottoms.  He found himself fighting back the punch of attraction that had plagued him for the last, well, year really. Even before they’d become friends, Harry knew he was attracted to Draco and becoming roommates at Hogwarts had not improved that situation at all.  Now, this revelation that he was gay had pushed Harry to the edge of maintaining his composure. Taking a deep breath, he turned and smiled at his friend.

“Hey there.  Hungry?”

“Oh Merlin yes.  It smells wonderful.”  

“You want me to come with you to face your father?”  Harry asked, his concern clear.

Draco shook his head.  “No. I appreciate the offer but this will go smoother alone.  I’m hoping I can buy a bit of time while I try and come up with a solution.  It might mean attending some social engagements with prospective witches in attendance. Not pleasant but not terrible, I suppose.”

“You’ll let me know if I can help, yeah?”

“You are already helping,” Draco assured him.  “You’re my friend and you’ve given me a place to escape to.  You have no idea…”

“I do,” Harry was quick to respond, “I do because I wished for one for so long, so I do know.”

“I’m sorry,” Draco started but Harry held up his hand.  “Discussed and forgiven, remember? Now we focus on your situation instead of rehashing mine.”

Draco left after a shower and reassurances to Harry that he would call on him if needed.

OoO

Friday the eighth of October dawned bright and clear and the leaves were beginning their transition from green to all the vibrant shades that defined autumn.  Harry rushed through his breakfast and shower, anxious to get to the Manor and wisk Draco away to get the keys to his new house. He heard raised voices as he exited the Floo and made his way toward them.  He had become a frequent visitor to the Manor in the last couple of months and moved with confidence into the entry hall and through the open door of Lucius’ study. There, Lucius and Draco stood toe to toe, both with stubborn looks that Harry knew all too well.  He looked over at Narcissa, who was clearly distraught as she looked on.

“Draco Lucius Malfoy!  You will listen to reason and do your duty to this family and that is final!”  Lucius was all but screaming by the end of the sentence and Harry waited for Draco to follow suit.  He was stunned to see Draco shut down instead, standing taller, his head up and his eyes cold.

“Or what, Father?” he spat, refusing to back off one inch.

Lucius was clearly surprised but he only paused for a moment before he responded, his voice equally cold.  “Or, Draco, you will no longer be my son and will forfeit family and fortune for the sake of your personal proclivities.”

Harry heard a loud gasp from Narcissa before she clamped her hand over her mouth.  Draco paused a moment to look at her as if to question her side in all this. If he saw Harry, he made no indication.

“Lucius, you cannot…”

“I can and I will Narcissa.”  

“You care nothing for how we both feel and would subject both of us to this horror of a marriage for the sake of your pride then.”

“Your feelings are of no interest to me,” Lucius said through gritted teeth.  “You will do your duty or be utterly alone without means. This is not up for discussion.”

“I’m truly sorry, Father,” Draco started, his voice low and oh so angry, “but you do not get to dictate to me any longer.  I’m sick to death of your manipulation of anyone and everyone in your sphere, using money and power to get your way without a thought to anyone but yourself.”  Draco spoke quickly, barely taking a breath. “I gave up more than enough following you blindly before and frankly Father, I would rather starve than give up any more.  You can, to be blunt, go fuck yourself.”

Lucius’ face turned blood red and he lifted the cane in his hand but before he could raise it all the way, he found himself with a wand pressed underneath his chin and his vision full of a furious Harry Potter.

“Lower it, Lucius, or it’ll be the last fucking move you ever make.  Trust me, I’d enjoy it and I’d get away with it too.”

“You little…” Lucius hissed before Harry’s wand was pressed harder into his throat.

“Harry,” Draco said, his voice low and near Harry’s left ear, “it’s not worth it, he’s not worth it.”

“No, he’s not,” Harry agreed, never taking his eyes off his opponent, “but you are.”  Despite his lack of height compared to Lucius, Harry was a frightening force of nature when angry.

“Let’s just go.”  Draco’s voice told Harry just how frail his handle on his anger was and Harry nodded.  “Go and pack, you’re not coming back here.”

“You take nothing but your clothing...,” Lucius growled, but never got to finish that sentence.  Harry muttered under his breath and Lucius froze, apparently unable to talk or move. Harry lowered his wand and turned to Draco.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.  Draco looked from his father to Harry and back again, then nodded.  

“We have to go.  He’ll be furious,” Draco said quietly.  “He’s dangerous when he’s angry.”

“You need to go and pack.  Lucius and I need to have a little chat while you’re packing.”  Harry touched Draco’s shoulder. “Go. Pack everything you care about.  Shrink furniture, books, whatever you want and would miss if you never come back here.  Bring it to the Floo and I’ll help you get it to my place.”

Draco hesitated then nodded and turned to leave.  His mother looked at Harry for a moment, then turned and left the room. Harry took a deep breath and turned back to Lucius.

“Now, you and I are going to have a very short conversation.  Well, I’m going to talk and you are going to listen and then Draco and I will leave and you will do nothing.  You will not come near either of us. You will not send some vigilante after either of us. I know you think you have growing power and influence at the Ministry and in society but you are not as powerful as you think.  All it would take is a few well placed conversations from me to bring this tenuous career of yours to an end. I could have your case be reconsidered by the Wizengamot. I could have the Aurors reopen your case. I could cast enough doubt on your character and morality to stop any forward motion for you forever.”  

Harry paced as he talked, his wand held at the ready.  “So, this is what is going to happen, Lucius. You will have nothing to do with Draco or me unless we choose it.  You will not directly or indirectly cause harm of any kind to us or those we care about, including Narcissa. You will speak to no one about Draco without his consent.  You will allow him to see his mother as much as they both choose to. If you fail in any way, I will destroy you. You know that I can do it. Oh and trust me, I will have a number of backups in place just in case you decide to get stupid.”  Harry paused, took a deep breath and put his wand away. “I think I’ll leave you like that until we’re done here.”

A short time later, Draco was saying goodbye to his mother and went through the Floo to Harry’s with his belongings.  Just before Harry stepped through, he released Lucius and then was gone in a flash of green.

When Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place, Draco was sitting on the floor, surrounded by his belongings, his head in his hands.

“You okay?” Harry asked, kneeling at Draco’s side.  A small nod was his answer. Harry hesitated, then continued.  “Look, I need to go pick up my keys to the new house. Why don’t you wait here, make some tea, chill out for a while.  There’s chocolate biscuits in the tin.”

Draco gave Harry a small smile when he lifted his head.  “I…” he tilted his head for a moment then looked back at Harry.  “I think I’d like to come too. I want to be a part of this with you.”

Harry’s heart leapt and his affection for Draco warmed away the chill that had settled over him at the manor.  “I’d like that a lot,” he said with a smile, offering his hand.

An hour later, keys in hand, Harry and Draco Apparated to the front garden of the house.  Once inside, they did a quick walkthrough to ensure everything had been left with the house.  Finally, they returned to the front lounge and Harry cast a tempus. When he heard a whimper, he wheeled around to find Draco curled up in the corner of the sofa, his eyes wide and scared.

“Draco?” Harry said as he turned to move to his friend.  Harry sat, shifting as his arm circled Draco's shoulders.  “What’s wrong?”

“Oh Merlin, Harry, what have I done?”  Draco’s voice was low and trembling. “I’ve lost everything, my family, my home, my heritage.  I’ve nowhere to live, no money, nothing.” Draco shifted slightly and leaned into Harry’s embrace, resting his head on Harry’s shoulder.

“You always have a place to live, Draco.  Here, with me. I have plenty of house and plenty of money.”  Harry rested his chin on Draco’s soft hair and just held him.

“I’ll find a way to pay my share, Harry,” Draco said quietly.

“We’ll worry about that later, ok?  For now, let’s just take care of you.”

OoO

Harry padded into the kitchen, put the kettle on and pulled down two tea mugs.  As he made tea and toast, he reflected on just how much he loved this house and this little village and well, everything.  The air was crisper and the leaves were starting to fall as autumn set in. It was two weeks today since they’d moved in and they found they were great roommates, he and Draco.  Things had been peaceful and calm and happy and his heart did a little leap when he heard said roommate coming down the stairs.

“Morning, Harry,” Draco said cheerfully as he moved to sit at the bar where they liked to breakfast.

“Morning, Draco,” Harry responded as he put the toast down and took the seat next to him.  They were close enough that Harry could feel body heat through the thin joggers and t-shirt he was wearing.  “Did you…”

Just then, they heard a tapping and looked up to see a large tawny owl at the window.  Harry felt Draco stiffen. “That’s one of our -- one of Mother’s owls,” he finished shakily. Harry moved quickly to let the bird in, took the sealed letter from her and offered her a treat.  She chose and left, not waiting for a response. Harry noted the wax seal on the letter as he handed it to Draco.

Draco’s hands were shaking as he took the letter.  “It’s from Mother,” he said quietly, staring as if unsure he wanted to open it before breaking the seal and taking out the parchment.  A folded note and a small key fell out as he opened the letter and Draco looked at them and then set them aside to read the letter.

  
  


Draco read the letter and then passed it to Harry before picking up the key and rolling it around in his fingers.

“Wow,” Harry said quietly as he finished the letter.  “That was unexpected, but wonderful, right?”

Draco smiled, sitting the key on the countertop.  “Yes, it’s wonderful. It’s wonderful to know that I will still have my Mother in whatever capacity and I’m grateful.  I should go to Gringotts after breakfast and make certain everything is in order. Mother will expect an update soon.”

After breakfast, Draco went to change, leaving Harry to tidy up after their meal.

“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Harry asked as they walked into the front lounge.

“Positive,” Draco assured him. “I --- I want to do this on my own, at least this first time.  I’m not sure why, to be honest, I just do.”

“It’s ok,” Harry shrugged.  “You don’t have to have a reason.  Go, do what you need to do. I think I’ll get to work on the garden before we are buried under mounds of leaves.”

Draco chuckled  “We did pick a house with plenty of big trees, which I love.  I’ll help when I’m back, ok?”

OoO

Draco Floo’d to the Leaky and made his way quickly toward Diagon Alley.  Several people spoke to him as he passed and so far, it appeared his father had kept quiet as instructed.  He walked straight to Gringotts and presented the note and key to the goblin at the counter. Minutes later, he was flying through the darkness on his way to the Black Vault.   He stayed only a few minutes, taking some money and a small book before they returned to the surface. He spoke briefly to the Head Goblin before leaving the bank.

Draco exited the Floo and made his way to the kitchen with the baked goods and takeaway he’d picked up.  Laughter rang out and he moved to look out the window and he laughed at the sight before him. There, in the back garden, Harry was sweeping the leaves into giant piles and then jumping into them.  Like a child. Like a very happy, carefree child and Draco couldn’t help it, he laughed along with him. Draco watched for a while, his heart filling with the carefree joy and the warmth of this precious man in his life. Without allowing time to talk himself out of it, Draco rushed to the door and out into the garden.

“Harry,” he called, grinning when Harry climbed sheepishly out of the leaf pile and began to brush himself off.  The pink in his cheeks had bloomed into a full blush and his glasses were slightly off kilter. Draco thought it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen.  He walked over and casually plucked a leaf from Harry's hair - "You missed one," he said with a grin.  His fingers lingered a moment in the wild black tresses, then his hand dropped to his side. Then, Draco winked at Harry and docked his head to the left and grabbing him by the hand, they leapt together into the remaining pile of leaves.  They laughed and Harry shrieked when Draco started to tickle him and he squirmed to get away, only to find themselves in a tangle of limbs with their faces close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Time seemed to slow down as they looked at each other.  Draco knew in that moment that the one thing he wanted most in his life was in his arms.  Without thinking too hard about it (and wasn’t that becoming a pattern today), he cupped Harry’s cheek with his hand and finally tasted those lips he’d been obsessing over since, hell, since so long ago he’d stopped keeping track.  Draco’s tongue brushed gently, asking permission and it was given with a sweet smile and their kiss deepened. He was never quite sure who moaned first or touched first but somehow he ended up on top of Harry, their kisses more frantic and their bodies touching from head to toe.  

“What do you say we take this somewhere more comfortable?” Draco murmured against the shell of Harry’s ear, his breath brushing across the lobe.  Harry nodded and whispered “sounds like a great idea.” In a flash, Draco was on his feet and pulling Harry up with him. Hand in hand they ran into the house and up the stairs, their entire future ahead of them.


End file.
